Durban reports shipping backlog close to being cleared; challenges remain in Cape Town

by | Jan 9, 2024

Cape Independent news, Western Cape politics, Cape of Good Hope current affairs, conservative news South Africa, local autonomy Cape, decentralisation Western Cape, Cape conservative opinion, South Africa conservative media, Western Cape news, Cape Town politics, conservative Cape news, local governance Cape, Western Cape opinion articles, Cape autonomy movement, South Africa decentralisation news
Cape Town still suffers from underfunding, and international shipping continues to route container vessels away from South Africa

SHARE POST:

✅ Link Copied

Durban’s port traffic backlog has been significantly cleared, according to industry reports from Danish-owned shipping giant Maersk, a major carrier of South Africa’s imports and exports.

As of the latest update, only five vessels are reported at anchor at Durban’s Container Terminal (DCT) Pier 2, which makes a significant shift from last year, when vessels were left idling at sea for up to three weeks before entering the port’s channel.

Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) intended to increase container clearing at DCT Pier 2 from 2,500 to 4,000 containers over three months, aiming for a higher throughput, though this target has not been the main contributor to the decrease in backlog, as these targets were not met.

Heavy tariffs from several major shipping companies hoping to reduce the disruptions caused by the world’s worst port systems have rerouted shipping away from South Africa, with Maersk in particular sending ships to Mauritius instead, even for South-Africa-bound cargo.

Additionally, despite the major disruptions in the Red Sea, which saw a major global rerouting of shipping traffic past the Cape of Good Hope, almost none of the ships docked in South Africa, as the reputation for incompetence was deemed too much of a risk.

Despite nominal improvements in Durban, which has received major injections of capital over the last couple of years through the multibillion Rand infrastructure investment program Operation Vulindlela, throughput issues persist at the Port of Cape Town, which has been forced to focus on marginal administrative changes to combat inefficiencies created by moribund infrastructure and a unionised workforce.

The Port of Cape Town has additionally faced weather-related challenges, leading to operational disruptions.

Future updates from Maersk will focus on depot turnaround options in Cape Town, indicating a need for further improvements.

0 0 votes
Rate this article

Independent news and opinion from the Cape of Good Hope for readers who value good old common sense. We focus on what really matters in South Africa.

Article views: 10

Interested in joining the movement? Find ways to get involved

GET NOTIFIED FOR NEW CONTENT

read more

South Africa oligarchy, South African economy, economic concentration South Africa, political economy South Africa, wealth inequality South Africa, corporate power South Africa, oligarchs South Africa, state and business relations, concentrated wealth South Africa, South African elites, economic power structures, monopoly economy South Africa, South African capitalism, political influence business, institutional power South Africa

Understand South Africa’s Oligarchy

South Africa’s concentrated economic power structure reveals tensions between political elites, corporations, and ordinary citizens.

Choose CX, Greater Knysna, Knysna civic movement, local government accountability, municipal service delivery, Knysna municipality, community-led initiative, water supply issues Knysna, electricity outages Knysna, municipal governance South Africa, infrastructure maintenance, transparent procurement, local politics Knysna, civic activism South Africa, waste collection problems

Civic movement grows in Knysna with goal of stability and “no national ambitions”

Choose CX looks to bring stable, accountable self-governance to address Knysna’s ongoing service delivery and infrastructure failures.

AfriForum SANDF security, SANDF burglaries Gauteng, military base security South Africa, weapons theft SANDF, Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum community safety, military facility security breaches, South African military crime, strategic infrastructure security, organised crime South Africa, SANDF security assessment, military base vulnerabilities

AfriForum offers training to SANDF

AfriForum offers SANDF security assistance after burglaries, weapons thefts and repeated breaches at Gauteng military facilities.

Why South Africa may be approaching another major constitutional change

Guest Author

South Africa’s liberal democratic order may be weakening as pressures push the country toward another constitutional shift.

Equality, most of the time, is not desirable

Guest Author

Apart from in a court of law, I cannot think of a time where equality produces more positive then negative.

Plett residents race to save Robberg’s last lung

May 15th, 2026

Robberg Peninsula development, Plettenberg Bay development, Robberg ecological corridor, Ballywood Properties, Schalk Burger development, Garden Route National Park, Bitou Municipality, Plettenberg Bay environment, Whale Rock development, coastal ecosystem threat, Robberg Peninsula conservation, South Africa property development, ecological destruction Plettenberg Bay, water and sewerage concerns Bitou, environmental objections Robberg

Understand South Africa’s Oligarchy

May 15th, 2026

South Africa oligarchy, South African economy, economic concentration South Africa, political economy South Africa, wealth inequality South Africa, corporate power South Africa, oligarchs South Africa, state and business relations, concentrated wealth South Africa, South African elites, economic power structures, monopoly economy South Africa, South African capitalism, political influence business, institutional power South Africa